Softball season storylines and players to watch in 2014

Elyria's bench cheers on a teammate during the state championship game against North Canton Hoover last season. The Pioneers will have to replace seven starters from last season's state runner-up squad. (Chuck Crow, The Plain Dealer)

By
Mark Kern and David Cassilo, Northeast Ohio Media Group
on April 04, 2014 6:05 AM, updated April 04, 2014 9:05 AM

CLEVELAND, Ohio – The high school softball season has arrived, and the drive for a state title has begun.

Northeast Ohio had two state runner-ups last season -- Elyria in Division I and Columbia in Division III -- and this year the quest will be to leave Akron's Firestone Stadium with a championship trophy.

To get you set for the exciting season, take a look at some of the storylines and players to follow.

Storylines to watch:

Which team will be able to win the Southwestern Conference?

The Southwestern Conference has a chance to be exciting, with a handful of teams emerging as legitimate contenders. Brecksville-Broadview Height is the early leader with one of the best players in the area in Alexis Mack. However, teams like Amherst, Westlake and Berea-Midpark bring back strong teams from the previous season. Avon Lake lost a talented senior class.

Who will survive the Patriot Athletic Conference?

Few conferences are as top heavy as the Patriot Athletic Conference. With Clearview, Columbia, Firelands and Keystone, the league has four teams that could make a deep run in the postseason. While Columbia went 16-0 in the conference last season, the team lost five senior starters from a year ago. That means that it won’t be quite as easy this time around.

Will any Northeast Ohio team win a state title?

A season ago, Northeast Ohio softball teams failed to win a state title. It was part of a recent trend, as only one local team -- Keystone in Division II in 2012 -- has won a state title in the past four seasons. The area had two runner-ups last season (Elyria in Division I and Columbia in Division III), which shows the talent is there, and it might only be a matter of time before a school breaks through again.

How will the teams handle the weather?

If Thursday's rain is any indication of the spring we are going to have here in Northeast Ohio, there are going to be a lot of games postponed and canceled. With sectional/district seedings being decided in early May, that allows really only a month for teams to go out and play and try and help their case for a high seed. This could provide an exciting season as teams will be going into each game knowing how valuable a win will be because it could have its next few games postponed because of rain.

How will Elyria be this season after losing seven starters from last year’s state Division I runner-up team?

The Elyria Pioneers had a season to remember last year, going 27-6 before losing in the state title game to North Canton Hoover. A good thing for Elyria is the infield should be strong as talent returns, including all-league second baseman Mackenzie Phares. The Pioneers will once again have a difficult schedule throughout the regular season, but could once again make some noise in the postseason if the younger players play to their potential.

Players to watch:

Amanda Beursken, Midview, Sr.: The Cleveland State recruit set a school and Lorain County record last year with 13 home runs. She also can get it done in the field, as she had a .946 fielding percentage.

Meredith Chopka, Cuyahoga Heights, Sr.: The senior is one of the best pitchers in the state, as she struck out 236 batters last season while registering 24 wins. The Redskins have a chance to go a long way this season, in large part because of Chopka’s pitching.

Deanna Cole, Springfield, Jr.: All Cole did as a sophomore last season was set an Ohio High School Athletic Association-record 70 stolen bases, breaking the previous record of 62. Whenever she is on base, opponents have to focus on her, helping her teammates see better pitches at the plate.

Kristen Confroy, Solon, Sr.: While you might have heard her name a lot on the basketball court, Confroy is also one of Northeast Ohio’s top softball players. Last year's cleveland.com Softball Player of the Year, she held a .581 batting average and a .600 on-base percentage.

Allison Golic, Mentor, So.: Golic had a terrific freshman campaign for the Cardinals, going 18-10 with a 1.99 ERA. She also set a school record with 234 strikeouts, and will be the ace of a team that is looking to get back to the state tournament.

Sarah Kaya, Clearview, Sr.: Kaya entered the season with 814 career strikeouts, which puts her within striking distance of the Lorain County record of 1,153. If she is able to total her strikeout amount from last season (340), she will set the county record by one strikeout.

Alexis Mack, Brecksville-Broadview Heights, Jr.: Mack is already committed to South Carolina, but she still has plenty of time left to do damage at Brecksville. The leadoff hitter had 42 runs scored and 48 stolen bases last season.

Lilli Piper, Walsh Jesuit, Jr.: Piper is another talented basketball player (she’s committed to Butler) who also shines on the softball diamond. In the field, she is a reliable shortstop who can make a tough defensive play look easy.

Jenna Stegmaier, Cuyahoga Heights, Jr.: Another stellar basketball player, Stegmaier is a talented softball player that can influence a game in many ways. Last season, she had 48 RBI and should once again lead one of the best Division IV teams in the area.

Taylor Stimson, Walsh Jesuit, Sr.: Stimson is another member of an extremely talented Walsh Jesuit core. She batted .442 and helped lead her team to the state semifinal.

Contact high school sports reporter David Cassilo by email (dcassilo@cleveland.com) or Twitter (@dcassilo). Or log in and leave a message in the comments section below.Contact high school sports reporter Mark Kern by email mkern@cleveland.com or Twitter (@Markkern11). Or log in and leave a message in the comments section below.

Follow Us

cleveland.com is powered by Plain Dealer Publishing Co. and Northeast Ohio Media Group. All rights reserved (About Us).The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Northeast Ohio Media Group LLC.